KARACHI, March 5: The Citizen-Police Liaison Committee plans to introduce an ambulance service to help provide timely medical assistance to the victims of road accidents in Karachi.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Backache, Neck Pain and Spinal Diseases’, held to mark the inauguration of a Spinal Injury Unit in the Liaquat National Hospital on Wednesday, CPLC chief Jamil Yousuf said the service had turned much needed in the backdrop of the increased number of traumatic cases and inadequate handling adding to the plight of the victims.

He said the constant rise in the number of road accidents in Karachi and associated morbidity and mortality owing to delayed first aid and inappropriate handling of victims while being carried to hospitals made it necessary to initiate a plausible scheme.

According to him it was a local philanthropist who approached the CPLC with the proposal for the service and also committed to provide all necessary support, including the procurement of ambulances, deployment of well-trained and qualified personnel and running expenditure.

“Initially we intend to start with six fully-equipped ambulances of the year 2000 model,” he said, adding that the Aga Khan Social Services would provide six months training in trauma management to 18 individuals to be attached with the six mobiles.

He said medical graduates would be encouraged to offer their services to the CPLC. They with their experience in casualty department were cited to be in a much better position to spare time and contribute to a social service.

Mr Yousuf said the scheme, expected to be started in the next few months, would be linked with the traffic police. He mentioned that the federal government had exempted these ambulances from custom duty, considerably reducing their cost. Each of these reconditioned ambulances were estimated to cost between Rs700,000 and Rs800,000.

He said the project being introduced with six ambulances, with the provision for three personnel on each, was expected to be a model project and might gradually be replicated by the government too.

Addressing the doctors, he stressed the preventive aspects of ailments and casualties and said the installation of desalination plants in may of the slums and rural areas denied of safe water could extensively reduce water borne infections and complications.

Speaking on the occasion, doctors said that more than 30 per cent victims, who sustained spinal injuries during accidents and were ultimately disabled, could be saved through pursuing safe practices during their transportation to hospitals.

“There unfortunately exist a lack of perception among the masses about spinal injuries or diseases which may be attributed as major reason of aggravating the injury to critical level”.

The event was attended by a large number of doctors, who presented papers on the topics of backache, neck pain, and spinal diseases.

Dr Ejaz Aslam, a neurosurgeon of the LNH, in his presentation on ‘Backache and treatment option’ said that with the modern management the overall prognosis of the problem had become easier.

“Owing to modern technology provision of evaluations, diagnosis and the most current treatment facilities are available for brain, nerve and spinal cords disorders besides provision of comprehensive emergency and elective services for all cranio-surgery cases which includes brain tumour, and haemorrhage are also made sure”.

Later, the first spinal injury unit established in the private sector across the country at the LNH was inaugurated by the CPLC chief.—APP/PPI